Photos | Funeral of Zakir Musa in Tral

Today, thousands of people from parts of Kashmir—men, women, and children, all alike—thronged Noorpora village in Tral, 37 kilometers away from Srinagar, to attend the last rites of Ansar Ghazwatul-Hind’s founder and chief, Zakir Musa, after body was handed over to his family at around 8 am.

Kashmir has been put under strict restrictions since the news of Musa’s killing went around. According to the reports, the heavy number of forces have been deployed in twin district of south Kashmir: Shopian and Pulwama, as a precautionary measure.

Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa left his B. Tech from Chandigarh after the first year, and home, on 17 July 2013, alongside two other friends, to join militancy. He had turned nineteen merely days before his joining.

Musa, who shot to prominence in 2017 after distancing himself from Hizbul Mujahideen via releasing an audio clip that criticized Pakistan and Hurriyat’s role in “Kashmir’s freedom struggle”, was killed in the hours-long encounter in his native Tral, merely 4 kilometers away from his residence. He was one of the longest surviving militants in Valley’s recent history of militancy.

Women peeking through the fence to catch the last glimpse of Musa. Photograph by Bhat Burhan for The Kashmir Walla.Scores of people assembled outside the encounter site in Dadsara, Tral, three kilometers away from his residence in Noorapora. Photograph by Saide Zahoor Shah for The Kashmir Walla.Scores of youth carrying Musa’s body to a nearby school ground for his funeral prayers. Photograph by Vikar Syer for The Kashmir Walla.Thousands of people assembled in a local school ground to read Musa’s funeral prayers. Photograph by Bhat Burhan for The Kashmir Walla.Thousands of people standing amid rain and mud to read the funeral prayers for Musa. Photograph by Vikar Syed for The Kashmir Walla.

Kashmir needs independent journalism…

…now, more than ever to give a voice to the voiceless. The press in Kashmir has operated under tremendous pressures of reporting from a conflict zone but since August 2019 we find ourselves in unchartered territory. The Kashmir Walla is among the oldest independent media outlets in Kashmir and has withstood successive lockdowns as well as attempts to suppress us, fighting back with authoritative ground reports based on facts.

We believe in making the powers that be accountable to their actions but to also hold the mirror to the society. We believe in covering all sides of the story and that empowerment in essence means the ability to make informed decisions. As such we have not allowed our journalism to be influenced by the pressures.

Despite the new and still unknown pressures, we are all the more committed to keep informing you of events and stories that matter. Our recent coverage of events has brought us an increased readership. However, the coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic crisis has affected our operational capabilities. We are facing an existential threat but only your support can help us withstand this and maintain our editorial independence.

We need your solidarity to keep our journalism going. Your contribution will empower us to keep you informed on stories that matter from Kashmir. Show your solidarity by joining our community. Kashmir thanks you.